Yes, it’s been too long since this blog has seen action. Plenty of blame to go around: Holidays, computer issues, etc.

The good news is abound however. We have fixed our “issues” here and comments are no longer disabled.

Also, we are already talking about plans to shoot a 3rd episode in our series!

In the meantime, here are a few of the best shots of your host, Cheyney, from around the world.
Enjoy!

Komodo Island

Sumatra:

Osaka:

My Everest:

Clinging to the top of Half Dome, Yosemite

Halong Bay:

After surviving hundreds of years at the edge of the desert in a land more removed from the oceans than anywhere on Earth, the Silk Road oasis of Kashgar will soon be destroyed once and for all.

What endured the elements & foreign invasions for centuries failed to withstand 6 decades of Chinese rule.

NY Times

Traders from Delhi and Samarkand, wearied by frigid treks through the world’s most daunting mountain ranges, unloaded their pack horses here and sold saffron and lutes along the city’s cramped streets. Chinese traders, their camels laden with silk and porcelain, did the same.

The traders are now joined by tourists exploring the donkey-cart alleys and mud-and-straw buildings once window-shopped, then sacked, by Tamerlane and Genghis Khan.

Now, Kashgar is about to be sacked again.

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The fabled mountains of the Himalaya holds a special place in my heart. I was once lucky enough to spend the better part of 13 months circumnavigating this region on foot. The most mystical, dramatic & heart-wrenching of that time was the 7 weeks I spent traversing the Tibetan plateau.

Any attempt to encapsulate the entire story of Tibet in a medium of this limited space is sure to come up woefully insufficient. However, I’ve tried to provide plenty of links to further reading & learning.

Join me for an overview of this resplendent -country- region about which we’ve all heard, but few of us can begin to comprehend.

Cross-posted @ Daily Kos
All photos by author except where noted.
(Click photos for larger images at host)

Fast facts:

* Over 90% of the local (Tibetan) populace adheres to strict Mayahana Buddhism (Lamaism)
* The region has been under Chinese rule since the suppression of an uprising in 1959, the same year that the Dalai Lama fled to permanent exile in India
* Outside of the few cities, most people survive as nomadic livestock herders

From the official website of the Tibetan government in exile:

Tibet lies at the centre of Asia, with an area of 2.5 million square kilometers. The earth’s highest mountains, a vast arid plateau and great river valleys make up the physical homeland of 6 million Tibetans. It has an average altitude of 13,000 feet above sea level.

Despite over 40 years of Chinese occupation of Tibet, the Tibetan people refuse to be conquered and subjugated by China. The present Chinese policy, a combination of demographic and economic manipulation, and discrimination, aims to suppress the Tibetan issue by changing the very character and the identity of Tibet and its people.

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This land always comes into the fray whenever I’m asked what my favorite country I’ve visited is. Devout Buddhists are the nicest people you can hope to encounter on the road. Dramatic Himalayan scenery unfolds around every corner. Ancient holy sites are the center of every settlement. What more could a traveler hope for? Good food, perhaps. Sadly, that’s the one thing Tibet fails to provide. In fact, it’s the ONLY upside to the Chinese occupation. In nearly every town you can find a small food stall serving Chinese food instead of having to endure the bland mush that serves the Tibetan palette.

Fast facts:

• Over 90% of the local (Tibetan) populace adheres to strict Mayahana Buddhism (Lamaism)
• The region has been under Chinese rule since the suppression of an uprising in 1959, the same year that the Dalai Lama fled to permanent exile in India
• Outside of the few cities, most people survive as nomadic livestock herders

Cheyney’s tips:

• Pick an area of the country to focus your time. Travel is very slow. Seeing it all in one visit is impossible with new shortened Chinese visa restrictions
• Bring lots of snack food wherever you go. A water filter is a must.
• Learn some Tibetan phrases besides “Tashi Delek” (Hello). The local people warm up even more when you don’t force them to use Chinese or, God forbid, English
• Sneak in. Don’t succumb to the pressure to buy a “permit”. No such document is ever actually issued or checked once you arrive in Tibet from China.
• Go NOW! The traces of real Tibetan life fade with each passing day of Chinese occupation (more…)